Safety fastener for sliding doors



J. T. lViALLAHD.

SAFETY FASTENER FOR SLIDING DOORS.

APPUCAT|ON FILED MAR. 9| 1921- n l 39170 Patented Jan. w, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1| Hmvml-mm AME JOHN :nja/:Mmm

J. T. MALLARD.

SAFETY FASTENER FOR SLlDING DOORS. APPLICMKIONFILED MAR. 9. 1921.

)1941;@3931780 Patented. Jan. 1051922..

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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JVOHN T. MALLARD @Fllelillo SFETY FASTENER 'GR SEEDING. DORS.

Application filed March 9, 1921.

To all whom it may Concern:

it known that l, flor-iN Cllr-reims MAL. Lann, citizen of the UnitedStates, and resident olf Raleigh, in the county of llfake and fatato ofllorth Carolina, have invented` certain new and useful lniprovenients inSafety Fasteners for Sliding` Doors, of which the following isdescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, whichform a part oi: my speciiication lfly invention relates to improvementsin safety fasteners for sliding doors, more par ticularly to the doorsof railway baggage and express cars, and it also is applicable tovarious other types of sliding doors where it is desirable to preventundue closing of the same.

rl`he wide side openings of railway baggage and express cars areprovided with sliding doors the sudden undue closing ot which frequentlycauses serious accidents to messengers and baggagemen standing in theopen door-ways when trains approach a station and are brought to asudden stop causing the door to close suddenly, and which also occursfrom other causes incig dental to the operation or r ,ilway cars.

The object of my invention is to provide a device for attachment to thedoor, whereby the latter when open cannot be closed except byrnanipulating` a lever which in turn operates a stop bolt adapted toengage perorations or receptacles therefor 'formed in the door frame orin a strip of iron or other material secured thereto.

With the aforesaid and other objects in view the invention consists in'the various novel details ot construction and combination of partshereinafter fully descril ed in the specications, illustrated in thedrawings and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

ln the accompanying drawings 'forming part of the specilication, and inwhich like reference numerals indicate corresponding; parts, l haveillustrated one form of device embodying` the essential features of myinvention, although the same may be carried into eect in other wayswithout in the least departing from the spirit thereof.

ln the said drawings Figure l is a reduced iront view oi' the deviceapplied to a door, the 'face member of the bolt casing and the doorsheave being shown as a single structure and the door partially open.

Fig. 2 is a similar view to Figure l show- S'peciiication or LettersEatent.

Serial Ilo. 450,851.

ing the bolt casing and the door sheave as separate units, the doorbeing shown closed.

Fig. 3 represents a broken perspective view of the bolt casing separatedfrom the door sheave and detached Jfrom the door, showing the lock boltand its operating lever in their relative positions and a keeper-platelocated thereabove, the latter being partly in longitudinal section inwhich an incline is shown adjacentto the bolt aperture.

Fig. l is a vertical cross section, taken on the line m a of Figure l,looking toward the front end orp the car, showing a modified form ofdoor track in which stop perforations are formed in the horizontallydisposed member thereof.

Fie', 5 is a vertical cross section taken on the line A A of Figure 2,looking toward the front end of car.

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section through the center of the lock boltcasing showing a part oit the operating lever and its pivotal connectionwith the casing.

lt is to be noted that for the purpose of this application my inventionis'illustrated and described in connection with the slid ing door ofexpress car, one side of which is denoted by the numeral l.- 2represents the side door opening and 3 the door, which is usually hungon a pair of door sheaves Ll-one only being shown-the rollers 5 oi1which traverse a track 6 secured to the car above the door opening, andshown also, in modified torni, at Z in Figures l and 4l, it is to beunderstood, however, that my inventi n does not contemplate the use oi"any particular torni of door track nor of any special type or" doorsheave and that it may be used in conjunction with any suitable 'forniol type oi? either. S represents a lock boit ea. comprising two rimmedsections 81, S2 secured together by screws 9, l0, or they may be securedby any other convenient or desirable inea fi, the iace member oi secu S1 is provided with end extensions 83, El* adapted to re eive screws forsecuring the casi in place. lllithin the chamber thus iorffned there islocated a lock bolt 1l bifurea-ed and pivotally connected at one endwith anoperating lever l2 by means of pintle i3, the lever beingpivotally connected with the casing 8 by means oit a pintle la which 'ia, be formed integral with one oit the casing sections or it may be aseparate piece secured to the casing section as more i shown in Figure6, or any other suitthe lock bolt and in which the'l'atter has ver-Atical movement, the purpose of which will presently appear. The casingis recessed into the side of the door, adjacent toits'top horizontaledge and at vsuitable ldistance from the vertical edge thereof,so thattheI face of the casingwill be flush with the side of the door. A stopstrip or keeperplate of suitable material is secured to the underside ofthe door opening lintel and may comprise a separate unit, indicated vbythe numeral y2O in Figures 2 and 5, or it may consist of an integralmember of the door track as indicated by-the numeral 2l in Figure 1l, ineither case the keeper is perforated, as at22, to receive the free endof the lock bolt 11 and when so engaged the door is held against undue`movement 'inv either direction, it being obvious that any desirednumber of such engagement may be provided for, also rthat when the dooris closed and the parts referred to are in engagement a separate lockfor the door may be dispensed with, entrance to and exit from the carbeing had through its end doors.

The free end of the operating lever 12 is pivotally connected, at 23,with the bifurcated `end of an operating bar 24;, the oppo.

site end of which terminates in a handle 25 whereby the bar may beraised and the upward movement of which'operates the lever 12 which inturn lowers the lock bolt 11 thereby releasing Ait from engagement withthe perforation 22 in the keeper-plate and permitting of unobstructedmovement of the door, the weight of the operating bar, whenunrestrained, serving to force the .lock bolt into the perforations whentheir relative positions permit of engagement therewith.

To make more positive and to insure engagement of the lock bolt with theperforations in the stop strip or keeper-plate as the door moves forwardtowards a closing position inclines 26, see Figure 3, are formed in thesaid stop strip or keeper-plate at each perforation, up which inclinesthepend of the lock bolt travels and is halted by the opposite wallofthe perforation, thus avoid-v ing` failure to perform its intendedfunction. The operating bar .is held in position by guide members 27-28secured to the door and in which said bar is free tlc-moveA in avertical line, its movement being limitedby the said guide members.

Reference has been made to a curved slot or opening 18 formed` in theface member of the section 81 of the casing, also to an aperture or bore19 to receive the lock bolt formed in the upper rim of the casing whilelockbolt will operate in whiclieverfset of said openings may benecessary tol adapt the devlcctoa right or a left hand dooras the casemay be, thus contributing to expediency, veconomy and convenience inmanufacture by avoiding the necessityvof separately constructing thedevice for right and left hand doors. y

In `Figures land fl `of the drawings rthe front section 81 of thelock'bolt lcasing and the face or supporting member 41 ofthe door sheaveis `shown as comprising a single unit,` preferably a casting, and inFigures 2, 3 and 5 lthe door sheave and the'lockbolt casi-ng are shown*as rseparate units.

VJhile 'my inventionfper se is V.separate and distinct from and does notnecessarily involve the use of any particular type of door slieaveyet,where it is to be applied'to'new doors or to doors not previouslymounted combining of the faceor supporting member of the door sheavewith the face or front section S of the Vlock bolt casing'in la singleunit contributes economy and convenience in manufacture, as well as'inthe application of i the device tov a door. f

In the particular embodiment of my invention shown in j the "drawings,when the lock bolt is engaged with one of-its czmitingk stops7 orperforations, ithe door is yheld against movement in either di'rec'ti'on'and the operating bar lis at rest at-its lowest limit of travel andraising of the bai-.to its Vhighest limit of travel withdrawstheloc'k'bolt from such engagement and peri'nitsy of Lfree `movementofthe doorin leitheropening or closing direction. i

It is obvious thatmy invention is equally well adapted yto cars o f woodor steel construction o'r 'of a combination ofwood and steel; Aand thatvdetails of construction as herein shown and described' may be departedfr'oniin various particulars without in the least departing tion.

Vl. fina `safety fastener for sliding` doors,- the combination with Ya'door of a casingv adapted ltol be vsecuredpto'l the door, lione'ormorefstopsf secured 'to Ya 4support above Vsaid casing, anVK operatinglever pivotally'mountp ed on said casing, a lock bolt inA pivotalconfrom the spirit oi myinveny nection with one end of said lever andwhose free end is normally in position to automatt cally engage the saidstops during travel of the door, and a vertically disposed movable barin operative connection with the opposite end of said lever; wherebyraising of said bar will rock said lever causing withdrawal of said lockbolt from engagement with the stop and permit of unobstructed movementof the door while the said bar' is in a raised position.

2. In a safety fastener for sliding doors, the combination with a doorof a casing` adapted to be secured to the door, a keeperplate secured toa support above said casing having one or more stop openings therein.,an operating lever in pivotal connection with said casing, a lock boltoperative within and through said casing and being in pivotal connectionwith one end of said lever and whose free end is normally in position toautomatically engage the said stops during travel of the door, avertically disposed movable bar in operative connection with the opositeend of said lever; whereby raising of said bar will rock said levercausing withdrawal of said lock bolt from engage ment with the stopopening and permit of unobstructed movement of the door while said baris in a raised position, and guide members secured to the door forcontrolling the vertical movement of said bar. l

3. ln a safety fastener for sliding doors, the combination with a doorof a casing adapted to be secured to the door, a loclr bolt operativewithin and through a rim of said casing, an operating lever in pivotalconnection with said bolt and with said casing, a keeper-plate locatedabove said casing having one or more stop openings adapted to receivethe free end of said lock bolt, an inclined surface leading fromsubstantially midway of the depth of the opening to the bottom side ofthe keeper-plate and which inclined surface the end of the lock bolttravels to engage the opening, and means connected with said lever foroperating the lool: bolt by the movement of said lever.

4. ln a safety fastener for sliding doors, the combination with a doorof a casing adapted to be secured to the door, a lock bolt operativewithin and through a rim of said casing, an operating lever in pivotalconnection with said bolt and with said casing, a keeper-plate locatedabove said casing having one or more stop openings adapted to receivethe free end of Said lock bolt, an inclined surface leading fromsubstantially midway of the depth of the opening to the bottom side ofthe keeper-plate and up which inclined surface the end of the lock bolttravels to engage the opening, and a vertically disposed movable bar inoperative connection with the opposite end of said lever adapted by alifting movement thereof to rock said lever and release said lock boltfrom locking engagement with said keeper-plate.

5. In a safety fastener for sliding doors, the combination with a doorof a casing adapted to be secured to the door, a lever pivotally mountedon said casing, a lock bolt in pivotal connection with one end of saidlever, a keeper-plate provided with stopopenings secured to a supportabove said casing; said openings being adapted to receive the free endof said lock bolt, and a movable bar in operative connection with anddepending from the opposite end of said lever whereby the weight of saidbar will cause the free end of said lock bolt to automatically engagesaid stop-openings and when held in raised position will disengage saidbolt therefrom and permit of unobstructed movement of the door.

6. ln a safety fastener for sliding doors, the combination with a doorof a casing adapted to be secured to the door, a lever pivotally mountedon said casing, a lock bolt in pivotal connection with one end of saidlever, 1a keeper-plate provided with stop-openings secured to a supportabove said casing; said openings being adapted to receive the free endof said lock bolt, a movable bar in operative connection with anddepending from the opposite end of said lever whereby the weight of saidbar will cause the free end of said lock bolt to automatically engagesaid stop-openings and when held in raised position will disengage saidbolt therefrom and permit of unob structed movement of the door, guidemembers secured to the door for controlling the vertical movement ofsaid bar, and a handle formed on said bar whereby the same may beoperated.

7. In a safety fastener for sliding doors, the combination of a casingadapted to be secured to a door and having a slot or opening through theouter face thereof, an operating lever comprising two parallel offsetsections, formed by an angular section therebetween; one of saidparallel sections being pivoted to and within said casing and the otherbeing disposed outside thereof; the said angular section being operativein said slot or opening, a lock bolt in pivotal connection with the endof said lever within said casing, a keeper-plate secured to a supportabove said casing having provision for receiving the freeend of saidlock bolt to arrest movement of the door, and means connected with theopposite end of said lever whereby said lock bolt may be withdrawn fromlocking engagement with said keeper-plate.

8. ln a safety fastener for sliding doors, the combination of a casingadapted to be secured to a door and having a slot or openlsaid casing, akeeper-plate secured to eenpport above seid easing having stop-openings'forreoeving the free end or' 'said look bolt to arrest movement of thedoor, a` movable bar in operative connection with and depending from theopposite end 'of said lever; whereby the Weight of seid bar will causethe free end of seid lock'bol-t to automatically engage Saidstop-openings and when held in raised position Will disengage Said bolttherefrom and permit of unobstructed movement of the door, guide membersSecured tothe door for controlling the vertical movement of sedbar, anda handle formed on said her whereby the same may be open ated. f

In witness that I claim the foregoing 'I have hereunto Subscribed myvname this lst dey of March7 1921.

JoHN THOMAS MALLARD.

Vlitnessf R. T. HAMLET.

